fiaba russa ( )

A very satisfying wrap-up to the Winternight Trilogy, which has been quite enjoyable overall. ( )

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

The entire time I read this book, Lana del Rey's "Season of the Witch" played on repeat in my head.

ANYWAY, this is the thrilling conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy. The Winter of the Witch begins with a blaze of fire and ends with a gut-wrenching battle. Continuing with where we left off, Vasya is branded as a witch by all of Moscow, and she must grapple with her decisions both good and bad. In my opinion, she experiences the most growth in this book, and while she is still an imperfect character (the best kind), she is now much wiser and more mature than she was at the start of her journey.

Father Konstantin still manages to terrorize Moscow, and his descent into madness as he makes a deal with the literal devil is gripping to read about. Meanwhile, Sasha and Olga have accepted Vasya's eccentricities and will aide her as best they can. However, their best isn't always enough. In general, these two take more of a backseat in the narrative as Vasya traverses the magical realm that has thus far been hidden from readers. Vasya finally learns the truth of her origins, as well as how to do magic herself, and what it means to inhabit both worlds.

Fair warning, this book is significantly darker than the previous two (if that was possible). It is violent, brutal, and sorrowful. Vasya is burdened physically and mentally by the consequences of her decisions and their ripple effects. It is oftentimes not an easy book to read, but it is so worthwhile. The ending is both gut-wrenching and sweet. You won't be able to put it down.

The reason this is four stars for me instead of five is because I detest drawn out scenes where the protagonist is so injured that they can barely move. Come on. There's magic. Just heal her up and get a move on. It's not like the broken rib has an impact on the story. It just slows everything down. As a result, I felt the beginning was a bit ridiculous as Vasya is constantly limping around despite the fact that she is surrounded by chyerti.

This book has everything: battles, intrigue, romance, magic, madness. It is both an origin story and an ending. I personally think there could be a fourth book, but I will be content with these three. I really enjoyed learning about Russian history and folklore through this series. It is a beautiful, well-written, and moving trilogy. It's not your typical fairy tale fare nor your typical fantasy, but you need to check it out regardless.

P.S. I loved every scene with Morozko the Winter King in it. He is my favorite character because you just can't guess what he's going to do next, and I loved every second of it.
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DNF at 24%. I really wanted to finish this but I realized that while I did enjoy the first two, I really struggled to get through them because I think I found myself not really caring what happened to any of the characters and I couldn't see where the story was going. I found myself never wanting to pick this one back up.